The following description includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed invention, or that any publication specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
There are many cooling systems for beer or other beverages. Typically, most of the components of the refrigeration system are local to, and directly cool the keg or other beverage supply container. In other instances there are two refrigeration systems, one to cool the supply container, and another refrigeration system to cool a cold plate through which the beverage is passed just prior to dispensing.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. RE43,458E to Cleland (“Cleland”) discloses a beverage chilling apparatus having a refrigerant cooling system. In Cleland, the cold plate is chilled by refrigerants that is compressed by a compressor and chilled by a condenser. However, Cleland fails to teach that the same compressor and condenser can also be used to chill the supply container.
Using two different refrigeration systems is inefficient, but to our knowledge, no one has ever undertaken the difficult task to cool both the supply container and a cold plate using a single refrigeration system.
All publications herein are incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication or patent application were specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference. Where a definition or use of a term in an incorporated reference is inconsistent or contrary to the definition of that term provided herein, the definition of that term provided herein applies and the definition of that term in the reference does not apply.
Thus, there is still a need for improved refrigeration system, in which a given compressor can be used to cool both the supply container and a cold plate, simultaneously or otherwise.